Automatic adjustable shade apparatus



1 T J Mansfield Jan: 9, 1940. MANSFlELD I 2,186,873

AUTOMATIC ADJUSTABLE SHADE APPARATUS Filed April 28, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Qrwvwbow Jan. 9, 1940 M L 2,186,873

AUTOMATIC ADJUSTABLE SHADE APPARATUS Filed April 28, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3mm 6', llansfziefd JP 55 55 m Patented Jan. 9, 1940 PATENT, oFF cs" AUTOMATIC ADJUSTABLE SHADE APPARATUS I George F. Mansfield, Pas'cagoula, Miss. Application April 28, 1938, Serial No. 204,893

2 Claims.

Thisinvention relates to an improved sliding shade apparatus.

It is an aim of this invention to provide an adjustable shade apparatus for windows whereby the maximum amount of air and light may be obtained with the minimum of glare by adjustment of the shade bracket relatively to the window opening; o

Itisan aim of this invention to provide a device whereby the brackets supporting the shade roller are formed'as a slidably mounted unit to permit the shade to be raised or lowered relatively to the window opening to permit light to enter from above or beneath the shade depending upon the position of the light rays passing through the window; o g

, One advantage of the invention resides in the fact-that the shade may be lowered to a position 'from whence it can readily be removed and replaced or cleaned without the use of a ladder or a chair.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings which illustrate a preferred form of the invention, and wherein Figure 1 is a front elevational view showing a conventional window and casement with the in- I vention applied thereto,

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the invention,

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the shade bracket shown in position and supporting a window shade,

Figure 4 is an enlarged front elevational view of the operating mechanism,

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 2, v

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 6--6 of Figure 4, I

Figure '7 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 1-! of Figure 4.

Referring more particularly to the drawings best :seenin Figure 1. Rods l2 are supported by the lower brackets l3 and the upper brackets I4 in spaced relationship to the easement H.

A shade bracket, designated generally I5 comprises a paircf telescopic sections it and I? to the free ends of which are secured the plates I8 each of which has a rolled portion In forming a socket into which the free ends of sections 16 and I! extend and are retained by the rivet or other fastening 20. Members 18 are also provided with sleeves 2| disposed at right angles to thesections l6 and i1 and adapted to slidably engage the 'rodsl2. Secured toand projecting outwardly from the members 1 8 are the conventional bracketmembers 22 and 23 in which are mounted a shade roller 24 carrying a shade 25. As best' seen in Figure '2, rings 2'! are pivotally supported by members 28 on the inner side ofthe members It,

for a purpose which will hereinafter be more fully described. I

As best seen in Figure 1, a'motor or operating mechanism designated'generally 29 is mounted on casement l I above and between rods l2, but

the motor 29 may be mounted at either side of the'casement ll if desired. The motor 29; as

4 seen in Figure 6, comprises a housing 39 formed of the U shaped members 3i and 32 which are connected at their free ends by the fastenings 33, and a plate 34 disposed between members 3! and 32 and having outwardly extending flanges 35 which are also secured to fastenings 33. A plate 36 is secured to the intermediate portion of the v member 3| by the rivet 31 and projects at right angles thereto and is adapted to be suitably secured by fasteningsv38 to the easement l l to sup-' port the motor 29.

A shaft 39 is journaled in plate 36, members 3| and 32, and plate 34 as best seen in Figure 6. A Windlass, pulley or reel designated generally 40 is keyed to the inner part of shaft 39 by any suitable meansas indicated at 4|. Windlass40 comprises the spacing members 42 and the three spaced disks 43 which are secured to members 42 by fastenings 44 to form the channels or grooves 45 and 4B between the disks 43.

Two strips ofrelatively wide webbing or the-like designated 41 are wound in superposed relationship in the groove or channel 46 with their free ends extending outwardly from the housing in opposite directions as best seen in Figure 1, to be trained over pulleys 48 mounted in the housing portions 48 of the upper brackets l4. Hooks 5B are secured to the free ends of the webbing 41 ,as

best seen in Figure 2, to removably engage the rings 21 to support the shade bracket I 5.-

A ratchet wheel 5|, as best seen in Fig. 5, is keyed to shaft 39 and a pawl designated generally 52 is pivotally mounted adjacent its hooked end 53 at 54 to the plate 34 which has portion 55 bent upon itself and extending around the hook 53 to journal the outer end of the pivot pin 54. A leaf type spring 56 is secured to the lower part of plate 34 and projects upwardly therefrom and is arcually shaped to have its free end bearing against the top part of the hook 53 to urge the bill of the hook into engagement with the ratchet 5| as seen in dotted lines in Figure 4. The teeth of the ratchet 5| are disposed so that pawl 52 will normally prevent the windlass 40 from turning in a counter-clockwise direction to unroll strips 41 which are constantly under tension in supporting the shade bracket l5 and window shade and roller 25 and 24 respectively.

A cord or line 51 is wound on windlass 40 in the groove 45 and in the opposite direction to strips 41, so that strips 41 will be unwound as line 51 is wound or conversely. Pawl 52, at the opposite end to the hook 53, is provided with an enlarged slotted ear 58 disposed substantially at right angles to the shank of the pawl and offset therefrom to receive the free end of the line 51 which is trained therethrough and depends therefrom. A pair of spring fingers 59 are secured to plate 34 and project outwardly therefrom towards the shank of the pawl 52 and are provided with a restricted intermediate portion for a purpose to be hereafter described.

From. the foregoing it will be seen, that the shade bracket I5 is supported by the strips 41 which are wound in groove 46 of windlass 40. Pawl 52 is normally held in engagement with ratchet 5| by spring 56 to prevent windlass 40 from being turned in a counter-clockwise direction by the tension on strips 41 due to the weight of the shade bracket and shade. By grasping the free end of the line 51 pulling it to the left, the depending end of pawl 52 will be swung downwardly and inwardly between the spring fingers 59 to raise the bill of the hook 53 out of engagement with ratchet 5|, so that the shade bracket I5 may be lowered by its own weight. The shade bracket I5 may also be raised by pulling downwardly on line 5! to unwind it and to wind strips 41 in channel 46. The restriction portion 30 of fingers 58 will frictionally retain the shank of pawl 52 until the line 51 is jerked sharply to the right to disengage the pawl from the fingers 59 and to permit the spring 56 to swing the hook 53 of the pawl back into engagement with ratchet 5| to lock the windlass 40 against rotation.

Various modifications and changes in the construction and arrangement of the parts forming the invention and in their assembly on a window casement may obviously be made and are contemplated, and the right is expressly reserved to make such variations and changes as do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an operator for slidably mounted window shade brackets, a rotatable shaft, a multiple grooved windlass mounted thereon and havlng flexible means for supporting a pair of shade brackets, a line wound on said windlass for rotating it in one direction, a ratchet wheel keyed to said shaft, a spring actuated detent to engage the ratchet wheel to normally hold the windlass from rotating in the opposite direction, said line passing through the free end of the detent for releasing it, and a pair of spring fingers to releasably engage said detent when it is released by the line to retain it in an inoperative position.

2. In a device of the class described, a windlass mounted on a rotatable shaft, a flexible operator wound on said windlass for revolving it in one direction, a ratchet wheel keyed to said shaft, a pivotally mounted detent having one end engaging said ratchet wheel to normally hold it from revolving in the opposite direction, spring means normally holding said detent in engagement with the ratchet wheel, said operator passing through the opposite end of said detent for moving it out of engagement with the ratchet wheel, and means for releasably engaging said detent when released by said operator so that the windlass may turn freely in said opposite direction.

GEORGE F. MANSFIELD. 

